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June 03, 2013

Being a City Councilor at 25

A few weeks back, I sought out BG Guingona because I thought of writing an article about the newest face in Zamboanga City politics. He graciously accepted to conduct an interview. Unfortunately, this never got published, so I figured I should just go ahead and share this in my blog.

Being
the youngest newly elected city councilor for Zamboanga City’s second district, Benjamin “BG” B. Guingona, IV
felt both honored and flattered. “Nakakataba ng puso kasi it touches me when
people, like at a young age, people entrust me with the mandate to serve the
city of Zamboanga because when you’re elected as city councilor, even if you
just come from district two, you’re going to serve the entire city.” He also
mentioned how some people would discriminate a young candidate when running for
a position, but in his case, the people decided to invest their trust in him
instead.

A
neophyte in the political scene of Zamboanga, Guingona is considerably younger
compared to most officials who are well in their middle ages and who have held
positions in the past. Voters claimed that his well-known surname played a role
in his victory, but others also say that it had something to do with his youth.
“Maybe he can contribute bright and better young ideas.” shared one voter.
Other voters threw in their own reasons for voting the young councilor: “[He’s]
full of vigor, creative, open to more ideas.” Another claimed that one of the
reasons why Guingona was able to secure her vote was because he could speak
well.

After
getting a degree in liberal arts with a professional certificate in management
at University of Asia and the Pacific in Pasig, he started out as a stockbroker
who eventually grew tired of the monotony of his work and decided to apply as
executive assistant to Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona, III.

He
admitted to starting out with an apathetic attitude towards the government.
After spending time in the senate, he began to realize that he might have a
calling in the field of politics. “It lit a fire within me, yung desire for
public service, because of my exposure in the senate.”

Armed
with his previous experience in the senate, he decided to go back to Zamboanga
City, his hometown. According to Guingona, his family owes a lot to the city
because it is where it all started. “Everything we have now came from
Zamboanga, so it’s my way of giving back to the people of Zamboanga in terms of
public service.”

He
also added that he wanted to set an example to the youth. “Gusto kong ipakita
na kahit bata kayo, you can make a difference, no matter how small it may be or
no matter how big it may be.” At the same time, he wanted to test his own
capacity to serve.

During
the campaign period, he made sure to focus on his advocacy of good governance.
To him, this meant reminding the people that the government funds are public
funds. “What I’m advocating, during the campaign and until now, yung pondo ng
gobyerno dapat napupunta sa tamang proyekto.” He also added that there is a
need for transparency. The people should be aware of where these funds are
allocated and their needs should be taken into consideration when planning
projects.

In
terms of the challenges he is facing with this new position, Guingona cites
two. One is solving the problems of the city and the second is proving to the
people that he has the capacity to make a difference even at a young age. “It’s
impossible to bring change overnight. It’s impossible to bring progress
overnight. Sa tingin ko kasi, no matter what age you are, no matter what age
bracket you belong, everyone can make a difference.”

One
other challenge that Guingona faces is upholding the reputation of his last
name. He said that he definitely has big shoes to fill since he’s related to a
former vice president, an incumbent senator and an outgoing city councilor. He
feels that he must be able to live up to the integrity and standards of his
kin. He also shared of the challenge that came from hailing from a family of
public servants. “Sila magagaling. How would you fare kaya? So, another
challenge is to prove that I can make my own identity, but how? I’ll just be
myself and it remains to be seen for the next three years.”

Guingona
will officially start his term as councilor on July 1. His plans include going
around the city and inquiring about the needs of the people. He claims that his
style in governance is centered on consultation. Through this, he will be able
to pinpoint the problems that need to be addressed. Currently, he believes that
the agricultural sector of the city must be given attention. Aside from setting
aside subsidies for supplies, he also said that proper training for the people
is also needed. This way, the future of the city and of the youth will be
secured.

In
his message to the people of Zamboanga, Guingona expresses gratitude for the
trust that is given to him. “First and foremost, I would like to thank them for
giving me their trust and confidence, providing me the opportunity to serve the
people of Zamboanga in a higher capacity. It is a very honorable yet humbling
experience that at a young age, I have a very big responsibility of looking
after the city of Zamboanga.”